Countering Illicit Traffic in Cultural Goods: The Global Challenge of Protecting the World’s Heritage

The e-book is a collection of multidisciplinary case studies and articles describing the nature of antiquities trade, sources of illicit trafficking, and solutions. It can be downloaded from the International Council of Museums (ICOM) International Observatory on Illicit Traffic in Cultural Goods website. 

This e-book is part of the ICOM tools published on its collaborative knowledge platform called ICOM International Observatory on Illicit Traffic in Cultural Goods. This project was funded by the European Commission to collect and distribute information related to illegal trade of cultural goods.

The publication is a compilation of perspectives from a broad spectrum of heritage professionals including legal advisors, researchers and journalists. It intends to foster international cooperation to safeguard cultural property.

 Some of the areas discussed in the e-book are:

• The internet market in antiquities
• Archaeological site looting in Syria and Iraq: A review of the evidence
• Documenting looting activities in post-2011 Egypt
• Military protection of cultural property